


Gift

by FracturedSpine



Category: Call of Duty (Video Games), Call of Duty: Zombies - Fandom
Genre: Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, Mental Illness, Poison, References to Depression, References to Suicide, Tag der Toten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:28:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26239393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FracturedSpine/pseuds/FracturedSpine
Summary: This is based on a fan theory that Ultimis Richtofen poisoned everyone at the end of Tag der Toten in order to steal the Elemental Shard, and not Nikolai. I have no idea how true that is, but I wrote this on it.If you want to read something depressing than this is it!
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Gift

**Author's Note:**

> For those that don't know "Gift" is German for poison.

Nikolai knew this would happen. 

He had seen it written upon the pages of the cursed artifact, he had had the opportunity to stop their forthcoming slaughter, but instead he had done nothing. 

He had done nothing in the hopes that their deaths would come quickly, without fear or pain and with mercy. 

In the hopes that it would feel just like falling asleep. 

But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

The poison the twisted German had chosen was something far more destructive. 

Nikolai had been forced to watch as his teammates, his comrades, his friends coughed and choked on their own blood. As their bodies convulsed in sheer pain, as their eyes filled with tears of fear and suffering. 

This was not what he had wanted. This was not what he had expected. 

And yet that man had acted alone, not caring about those who stood in his way. He had come up with this morbid plan and fulfilled it in the hopes of once again reaching godhood.

And if he did not succeed he would try again…

… and again and again and again until he was successful. 

This was the real cycle, the cycle that Nikolai knew he must break.

He tried his hardest not to look at the current expression on the German’s face, but he still saw it nonetheless. It was a look of childish excitement that sickened Nikolai to his very core. He was stood amongst the crumpled bodies, studying them no doubt, in his horridly perverted mind. 

He was looking at one in particular, the alternate version of himself. 

At some point, the younger German’s nose had begun to bleed. The trail of blood ran down his chin and had stained his shirt collar. 

Richtofen’s fingers itched to take out his scalpel and examine those blood filled lungs. But he could not allow himself to revel in the slaughter of his allies just yet, not when he was now so close to returning to his rightful place. 

“You did not drink it?” 

He had not looked at Nikolai as he had spoken those words, instead he had said them still staring at the bodies. His tone had not been angry either, like the Russian had expected, instead it seemed whimsical, almost guileless. 

Richtofen bent down and wiped the blood from the younger German’s face with his fingertips. 

“No, Richtofen.”

Nikolai wasn’t sure if the German had heard him, or whether the nameless voices now occupied his full attention. 

He rubbed the blood between his fingers, watching as it stained his leather gloves. 

“Dempsey gave me the idea.”

Nikolai didn’t like where this conversation seemed to be headed. He didn’t want to hear what morbid things that man wanted to say. He knew deep down that it was the corruption that was making him act this way, and that long, long ago, Edward Richtofen had been free from the insanity that plagued him so. 

“I had spent years thinking about the different ways in which I could kill them.”

Nikolai did not doubt this. 

The German shifted to face him. He was going to speak again and by the look in his eyes, he was going to say something far more sinister than his initial statement. 

Nikolai opened his mouth to silence him, but he hesitated.

What was the point in rebuking him now?

“The moment I saw all three of them restrained in their cells, I wanted nothing more than to make them suffer.” 

The German’s entire body language seemed to change. He stood stooped, his hands balled into fits, his jaw set. Whatever little sanity the German had had left him. 

“And then along came the American.” 

Richtofen’s voice deepened.

“From the very first moment I saw him, I hated him. Before I knew his name, before I even knew that he was a stupid American. He just had that look on his face. I had to kill him. I _needed to._ ”

The German made a noise of which Nikolai feared was arousal. 

He watched as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Yes, it had been arousal. 

For a brief moment there was silence.

“Yes, Richtofen.” Nikolai replied monotonously. He had no words for German. If the task ahead had not been a difficult one, he doubted he would have allowed Richtofen to make such a confession. 

“Why didn’t you stop me, Nikolai?” He hummed in a childish tone. 

He wondered if deep down, the German regretted his acts. 

“It was a necessary evil.”

“Necessary?” Richtofen gave a laugh that for once was not tinged with insanity. Instead it was infuriatingly happy.

“In order for the universe to return to normality, all must be destroyed, including you, Richtofen.”

Nikolai removed his pistol from its holster and aimed it at the German’s head. At the sight of the gun, Richtofen’s noxious smile was wiped from his face and replaced with a look of seething anger. 

“I am sorry.”

 _“No! Give me the shard!”_ The only word to describe Richtofen was hysterical. His voice sounded forced, as if severely distracted by something. He brought his hand up to his head and pushed the palms of his hands against his temples.

This man was unwell, seriously unwell. He had seen how maladies of the mind had plagued their Richtofen. They had helped him through it, no matter how terrifying it had been for both of them. Yet this Richtofen he believed, could not be saved. This man could never be allowed to complete his ultimate goal or it would prove fatal to the known universe. 

“I cannot do that, Edward.”

Then something seemed to change. It was, as far as Nikolai could describe it, like watching daemonic possession. The German’s voice changed, his gaze hardened into a hateful snarl. It was a last ditch attempt to save his life, Nikolai realised.

The book had warned him of this, and when reading it upon those pages he felt he could cope with it, but now, looking at the unstable man before him, he began to worry. This was no longer Edward Richtofen, but wholly the corruption. Whatever reasoning there was had gone. The German’s thoughts were no longer his, but those of the MPD. He was nothing more than a puppet on a string.

Nikolai almost felt pity. 

_“You are pathetic, Nikolai.”_ His voice was low and dark. _“Asking a child to do that?”_

Nikolai did not know how the German or the aether had learnt such a thing and it would only serve to make things more difficult. 

_“That you do not have the stomach to put that gun in your mouth and pull the trigger?”_

He paled. Guilt was beginning to overcome him, but he knew what he must do. He would not fail because of a madman’s ravings. 

_“You are a coward! You are weak!”_

Nikolai squeezed the trigger. 

There was a loud bang and the German fell to the floor. 

Yes, he had been right. He was weak. 

But this way they would be safe from chaos caused by the element. They would have a chance at a normal life. 

Nikolai looked down at Richtofen’s body. A patch of crimson had already begun to pool around it. 

“Whatever the future may hold for you, Edward, I hope it is one free from the grip of madness.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've never really interacted with those who read my fics. So I thought now would be a good time.  
> Tell me what you liked about it, tell me what you hated, what you'd change etc...  
> Any feedback is welcome!


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